Third-rail attachment for electric cars.



PATENT-ED DEC. 24, 1907.

G. H. SOHN.

THIRD RAIL ATTACHMENT FOR ELECTRIC ems.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10. 1907. I

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Q/WM M JAWS/Woman UNITED STATES PATENT o F cE.

y I cEoncE 11. SOHN, OFLINCOLN, CALIFORNIA.

THIRD-RAIL ATTACHM NT ron ELEGIRIG edits.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24,

Application filed June 10\'19 07.: Serial No. 378.162.

and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which forin a part of thisapplica tron.

This invention relates to improvements in railways and particularly to electricrailwa s, my object being to produce a third rai attachment for electric cars whereby. the cost of operation may be materially lessened and also whereby the loss of life may be reduced and other damage usually causedby the present third rail system may be obviated. This object I accomplish by means of a hollow rail provided with a'longitudinal slot in the top thereof, a current carrying wire disposed in said rail, and a trolley attachment secured to the bottom of the car and engaging with said wire. Also by a lever means for raising and lowering said.

trolley at will and by such other and further I construction as will appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

On the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a view of one end of a car showing m improved device installed tl' eriion. 1g. 3 is a longitudinal section of my device.

Referring more articularly to the reference numerals on t 1e drawings 1 designates a car running on itsvusual rai s 2. Interme- '.diatesaid rails 2 is ahollow rail formed of two pieces 3 and 4suitably bolted together and providedwith a longitudinal slot 5 1n the to thereof. Disposed in said rail are upright standards 6 insulated from the rail by suitable insulations Z secured to one of the parts-3 or 4. Held upward by said standardsfi is a current carrying cable 8.

9 designates a small dummy car having flanged wheels 10 adapted to run on the rail 33-4, said our being hollow inside and having liliK a hollow tube 11 swivclcd on the top thereof,

said tube extending within a tube 12 on the bottom r the 1; Pivotally mounted,

within the car 9 is a trolley wheel 13 simila rto those used on electric cars and'which en' gages the cable 8 for the purpose as will appear. From the, trolley. 13 wires 14 leadthrough the tube" 11 to the controller and other machinery. Pivotally"connectcd to the car 9 is a lever mechanism 15 which are tends to the motormans osition in the car 1. Connected to the tro ley 13 is a lever" mechanism 16 pivoted on the lever mechanism 15 for the purpose as will appear.

In practice the current .is turned into the l wire 8 and the trolley 13 dro ped thereon, the wheels 10 riding on the rail the\ currcnt travels through the trolley 13 and when to the controller and'henceto the motor of the car. When it is desiredfor any reason to raise the trolls 13 from the -wire 10 the lever 16 is operate which action which reduces the danger of destroying life to a minimum, and yet one which is simple and effective for the purpose for which it is desi ned.

hilc this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred embodiment of my invention, still in practice such small deviations therefrom may be resorted to as fall .within the scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device of the character set forth, a hollow rail provided with a longitudinal slot in its upper face, a current carrying wire dis-.

posed in said rail, a dummy, car carrying wheels normally running on said rail, a hollow tube upward from said car, an electric car, a tube on the under side of said electric car and telescoping said first namedtube and mcans disposed within. said dummy car and said tubes, conveying the current from said wire to said electric car, as set forth.

2.- In a device of the character described a hollow rail provided with a longitudinal slot in its upper face, a'current carrying wire diszio posed in said rail, a dummy car carrying Wheels normally running on said rail, a trolley carried by said car engaging said wire, an electricncar means connecting said dummy car to said electric car, and means for raising and lowering said trolley through said slot, as set forth.

3. In a device of the character described a hollow rail provided with a longitudinal slot in its upper face, a current carrying Wire disposed 111 said rail, a dummy car carrying wheels running normally on said rail, a trolley pivotally mounted in said dummy car and normally engaging said wire, an electric car means connecting said dummy car to said electric car, means for raising and lower ing said dummy car and means for raising and lowering said trolley, as set forth.

4. In a device of the character described a hollow rail provided with a longitudinal slot in its upper face, a current carrying wire disposed in said rail, a dummy car carrying wheels normally running on said rail, a hollow tube upward frornsaid car, an electric said e ectric car, and means for raising and lowering said dummy car and said trolley, as set forth.

5 In a device of the character described, a

dummy car, a hollow tube swiveled in the top thereof, an electric car, means-slidably connecting said tube to said electric car, and means disposed in operative connection with said dummy car for conveying electric current to a point in said electric car, as set forth in presence of two witnesses. p

GEORGE H. SOHN.

\Vitnesses:

PEacY S. WEBSTER, FRANK H. CARTER.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature 

